Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Florida vacation questions…

Once again I come to the Campfire Illuminati and beseech your advice.

We are going to be flying into Miami the 3rd of April and renting a car then immediately driving down to Key West. We’re planning on spending a couple nights in the Keys then heading back to Miami and catching the cruise ship for the Caribbean for a week. We have 5 or so days in Florida to explore. I’ve never been south of Fort Meyers and I’m looking forward to fishing my way around the area. I’m expecting the tarpon bite to be good but I’m not dialed in to the area so any advice is appreciated.

We’re staying in the Brickell area when we are in Miami but I don’t have any idea on good places to stay, eat or visit in the Keys so any and all advice is welcome….including good fishing guides and MUST see sites.

I appreciate any recommendations and know that this is the place that would KNOW for a fact where to go and more importantly….where NOT to go.

I want to bring my firearm since I almost always travel armed. I was wondering if there’s a place that I could lock it up while on the cruise? A locker that could be rented at the port or any suggestions for storing my pistol while I’m on the cruise would be appreciated too.

Thanks in advance everyone!

Don't pick up any of the "women" in Key West.

Be sure to make a stop in Cedar Key on your way down.

Once in Key West, El Sibone is a fantastic Cuban restaurant.

Drive through Big Pine Key with caution

Hit a Key deer and they will find a rope and a tall limb quick

btw.....it's a long drive from Miami to KW

We do it every year

Lol….no worries there. I’m not in the market at ALL.

It’ll be my crew of 4 (wife, son, daughter, me) and meeting a couple family members that are flying in later.

I’m mostly interested in good places to stay in the Keys and fishing suggestions.

The fact that I haven’t been to the Keys is in no small part due to the preconceived notions I’ve developed about the Speedo wearing senior citizens. 😀

Avoid Florida City. Once you get past Islamorada and especially past Marathon, the pace slows down. Spend some time in the Lower Keys and you'll get a taste of what's left of old South Florida. Key West is fun but I wouldn't waste too much time down there.

If you are passing through Islamorada and you want some good food try Lazy Days. Food is amazing and the view is breathtaking. When you are done there you can go to Robbie's and feed the tarpon. Just remember to take your watch off.

Clifford

I’ve never been to the Keys but I’m pretty sure that April is just about prime time in the Keys for Tarpon. Tarpon would definitely be on my list or if not Billfish.

Sounds like it should be fun trip for you and your family. We’ll be visiting my family in the Orlando area in late March.

Great stuff guys and I appreciate every suggestion!

Keep it coming. 👍🏼

Sounds like a blast! I hope you all have a great time!

I’ve done a bit of billfishing and while I enjoy long boat rides I enjoy catching fish more so I’m not too inclined to target billfish but tarpon is on my short list. I try to fish wherever I travel especially when I’m in a new place where I haven’t been before.

As a kid I’d read articles about trophy tarpon and it seemed to be a million miles away for this little kid. Now that I’m a bigger little kid I’m ready to do battle….catch and release. Our son asked me what I plan to do if I hooked and landed a big tarpon and I told him that I’d measure it and take good pictures before pulling the hook and letting it go. I have no desire to process a big tarpon while on vacation anyway. 😀😉

Same here.

I think it was an article in Outdoor Life back in the 80’s that got me thinking about Tarpon and Bonefish on the flats.

Thanks and I’m sure that we will. My wife is a seasoned traveler and had been around the world twice before she was 10 and I’ve always enjoyed traveling and suffer greatly from acute wanderlust. 😉

Our children are fantastic traveling companions and are well seasoned in their own right. Our son just returned from a week in New England with his girlfriend and her family. I never take for granted how proud they make me when we travel. They’re always organized and polite to everyone so when the 4 of us travel together and we travel together a lot it’s as easy as if it was only me or me and my wife.

We all probably read the same articles and dreamed the same dreams about tarpon and bonefish in the sugar sand shallows….

I’m extremely blessed to have had the opportunities that I’ve had so far in this life but now that I’m splitting time between Alaska and Washington I will be fully present when we go to the tropical places. I can’t lay on a beach without wondering how fishing is and obsessing about the possibilities of what I might catch…..if I have a rod and reel with me, like a baby with a pacifier, I’m satisfied. 😀

Just got back from the Keys fishing the Dry Tortugas. Definitely worth it. Key West has some good food, but the nightlife is mostly LGBTQ and whatever else goes with that.

Been awhile since I last fished in the Keys, or lived there. 20 years ago Key West was a place to avoid. Best fishing, especially for tarpon was around Marathon or a few island to the west. In Marathon my go to for accommodations was Faro Blanco. Good accommodations and meals, there or nearby. The guide I fished with passed and I have no suggestions in that area. Perhaps the desk at Faro Blanco could help.

https://www.faroblancoresort.com/

In Key West, the Ernest Hemingway home was interesting to us, as well as a ship wreck museum ( can’t remember the name). Lots of good restaurants. Blue Heaven is a very unique off beat burger for lunch type of restaurant place.

The Keys is my favorite place in the world!

The last time I was there I was staying with my friend who owned a condo On Moon Bay, I caught all kinds of fish right off the dock and hooked into a Giant Tarpon using a filet of a tiny Barracuda on a bobber, I caught earlier that day dropped down 4' from the surface. Sooooooo Much fun!

Any suggestions on where to stay in that area?

AcesNeights: I have been to "Florida" four times now and enjoyed every visit.
Did NOT have time to fish as yet.
VERY much enjoyed St. Augustine, a bit north of where you're going, but if you have not been there take the time to take it in (oldest city in America).
Be aware that DelFarve lives in a homeless jungle camp there on the east coast of Florida.
You won't need guns to protect yourself from DelFarve but I don't know about the other homeless and retirees thereabouts.
Enjoy your sun break.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

As much as I love fishing, I don't fish when I go to the keys. The fishing here is world class, so I look for a different experience. Don't be in such a hurry to get to Key West that you pass the best of the Keys. I'll throw some suggestions at you.

John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo is a cool place to stop. You can rent kayaks and explore there. Snorkeling is so-so. You can see some massive tarpon in the brown waters of the main lagoon. Also in Key Largo and a quick stop is the African Queen of Bogart and Hepburn fame. Some people find that interesting.

My favorite stop along the way is Robbies Marina. Good food in the immediate vicinity. You can feed and see massive tarpon right there. I highly recommend kayaking the mangrove tunnels. The tunnels themselves are cool, and there's a lot of interesting wildlife and sea life. You might even catch a glimpse of a rare American crocodile.







Take snorkeling gear. Right along the highway, there is a lot of rip rap, and the crevices hold cool stuff. Lobster aplenty and lots of colorful fish.



As you continue along the way you'll pass Bahia Honda State Park. No need to stop on the way through, because you'll want to come back and spend a half a day there. Take one of the snorkel tour boats out to Looe Key to snorkel. It's right there with the very best places I have ever snorkeled. You'll see everything out there. Massive parrot fish, schools of sergeant majors, all of the colorful reef fish that are common down there and barracuda as well. Visit the park when the boat comes back in.







I have always stayed in Navy lodging when I go, so I don't have any lodging recommendations. There are plenty of good restaurants. I like the vibe and the food at Red Shoe. Stop by one of the Key Lime specialty shops and get frozen Key Lime pie on a stick! Walking Duval Street and checking out the VERY good art shops is a must. The little aquarium in Key West is pretty darn good. Hemingway Mansion is of interest to a lot of people. You can't miss the big Banyan Trees. They are absolutely fascinating in the way they grow. The sundown shows at Mallory Square are cool too.



Someone else mentioned the Keys Deer on Big Pine. It's neat seeing them. Once you get off the main highway on the north side, they are everywhere.



There are lots of iguanas. For those that have never seen them, they are kinda fun.